But There's Really No Excuse
by Fleeting Illicit Delicious
Summary: Jounouchi breaks his Duel Disk. Yami helps. Sort of. YamixJounouchi Contest Entry S7 R1


Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh.

Yami x Jounouchi

Jounouchi breaks his Duel Disk. Yami helps pick up the pieces. Sort of. Based on the fact that I sort of broke the hinges of my DS... but it still works... but still... sadness!

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**But There's Really No Excuse**

_There were so many places second-year Jounouchi Katsuya could have started his story. The average person would have started at the beginning; the intuitive might have chosen the end. But Jounouchi was never especially intuitive at stories nor did he ever want to be thought of as average. So he started in the middle. _

_The very least it could do was flare out his excuse for his guidance counselor. _

_"So that afternoon I'm dueling with some kid in the neighborhood..." _

Only one thought crossed Jounouchi's mind when Gearfried tore through the last of his opponent's life points. _Too easy_. He really hated subjecting the neighborhood kids to his ruthlessness as a duelist, but he needed to blow off some steam. And well, personally he saw it as a community service project. It was better for kids to play card games than get themselves involved in gangs… of course it was the worst if they got involved with the both of those things.

But anyway, the kid didn't seem too hurt about losing, so he figured he'd walk over there and offer some sort of speech or something. That would be, how would you say it, the turning point of the story.

"Hey kid. It's all right. I mean, you really had me in a pinch there with all your trap cards. I mean, Nightmare Steel Cage. I never knew a kid would have such a thing. If you ask me, that kind of card would have haunted me as a kid. It kind of still does but don't tell anyone, 'kay?"

But the kid was more interested in other things. "Wow, you have one of the Promotional Battle City Duel Disks." His eyes twinkled like the sparkling images of holograms. "Can I see it?"

"Well, I don't see why not. Though if you take off running chances are you're not gonna like what happens next." Jounouchi handed over the device, but not before pocketing his own deck.

But the kid didn't take off running. His feet were planted to the ground, all attention drawn to the bundle of metal and… whatever else is in those things.

"Can I try it on?!"

And who was Jounouchi to say no to a kid, especially when it involved sharing the fun of one of his favorite games.

The kid put it on, or tried to. Of course, the Duel Disk, being meant for adults participating in Battle City, didn't fit. But Jounouchi, figuring things like Duel Disks came under the tag _one size fits all_, forced it into shape.

Unsurprisingly, things didn't work out so well. He should have taken himself for an example, because all things forced into shape, at some point, snap.

"Ahh!" The kid let out a shriek and Jounouchi half-died at the thought that maybe he had broken the kid's arm.

But no. He knew the face of a broken arm and that kid didn't have it. What the boy was more concerned about was the Duel Disk, which now gave off the very audible noise of Jounouchi's heart breaking into a million pieces.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break it!"

"Naw, it was my fault," said the duelist, taking the now broken device into his hands and inspecting it. Okay. He had no idea how these things worked. "Why don't you run off home?"

The kid didn't need to be told twice and the young man sat there cradling a machine that had once held his hopes and dreams.

"_I don't really see how this explains anything about why you're here."_

"_Hang on Sensei, I'm getting there. _

"_So there I was with a broken Duel Disk…" _

Jounouchi knew there were many hobby shops in the city that would probably have a look at his Duel Disk and maybe half of those would be able to offer some advice on how to fix it. But as mentioned before, he was just trying to blow off some steam, and ended up not going into any of them. He knew each Duel Disk was constantly monitored for quality through some database-thingymajig and just having the serial number entered into a computer would alert the attention of someone he really did not want to breathe down his neck about breaking one of his prized inventions and being an insult to the game blah, blah, blah.

But that, of course, left him only one option. If he wanted to get his Duel Disk fixed he needed to go to a place he could trust. And well… let's just say it was the last place on earth he wanted to go at that moment.

There he stood after walking halfway across town. The imposing little game shop, usually a place that gave him one of the greatest sources of joy, was now giving him an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, like rotten noodles. True it was almost sunset and the shop looked like a haphazard pile of building blocks in the shadows, but he could deal with that aspect of it. What really was bothering him was facing the very persons he had been upset over that day, or rather the very persons he had upset. The entire reason why he had been so adamant about dueling a neighborhood kid and so impatient about his Duel Disk lie beyond that red, paned door.

With a sweep of his arm, that he usually shouted with "My turn, draw!", he opened the door and was immersed in the sound of bells and the smell of knickknacks new and old.

He might as well apologize now that he was here. "Look, Yuugi. There really is no excuse for what I did and I'm sorry about that."

But the "Jounouchi-kun" that followed didn't belong to Yuugi.

"Yami?" He only received a smile in response. But if smiles could speak they would have given that person's entire persona away.

"Where's Yuugi?"

"He's resting right now so I'm in charge of the shop while Grandpa's gone." Yami said, looking over a deck of cards. There was something about the way he handled those cards that made Jounouchi feel as if he were winning a million duels.

"I just-" He found it hard to find the words. Why was here again? What was he so mad about? Depressed about? All of those feelings were lost in those hands that held the cards in the most confident of ways.

"Dammit!"

"_Jounouchi-kun, I understand you're infatuated with cards but must we really result to swearing."_

"_Oh sorry about that, Sensei." _

"I brought this Duel Disk over here and was wondering if you could fix it." He placed his prized possession on the counter and the other duelist quickly put the cards away to see the aftermath of one fool's big mistake.

"You broke your duel disk?"

"Yeah. Just the part where it attaches to the arm. I'm not sure if you've ever looked at something like this before, so feel free to tell me when to hit the road." Jounouchi, despite his relationship with the other, kept his demeanor purely that of a customer's. Yami was the store clerk and he was the customer. Nothing more than that. It was almost painful to behave like they were strangers, but that was the way it had to be. Especially after today.

However, he should have known, the other would have nothing of it.

"I'm not mad at you Jounouchi-kun." Yami said, like he didn't even think need to think twice about it.

Jounouchi could only stare at his Duel Disk and those wonderful hands gracing it with their presence.

Yami had forgiven him. No, that wasn't it. Yami had never hated him in the first place.

In truth, he wasn't really concerned about himself. Of course he was more than glad that Yami wasn't mad with him. But he wasn't the only person involved. There might as well have been a wall that was separating him and Yami. One short, timid wall that went by the name Yuugi Mutou.

"Thanks for that, but I wanna know how Yuugi feels. It's really horrible what I've put him through in the past and now, on top of all that, now I-"

Yami interrupted him. He was good at that. "Yuugi realizes that and he still wishes to be your friend. Besides, he wouldn't hold something that happened in the past against you and you know that."

"But right now. The reason you're watching the shop right now is because he's so mad at me that-"

"I told you he's resting. I was the one who suggested it to him."

"Oh. I see."

Again a strange silence hovered over the two that would have been occupied with passionate talks of gaming or just plain, passionate talks.

"Well, I think if you had any spare parts I could probably manage somehow. I know how to use tools, it's just all the other stuff that I'm not sure about."

Yami didn't even give that detour a chance. "You know, Yuugi isn't mad either."

"What!? But I saw his face get as red as his hair. The last time I saw him he was walking away in the other direction."

"He's just a little embarrassed, is all. He sees you as a friend, Jounouchi-kun, but right now you've confused him. Of course, he's known about you and me for a while now and he's only ever accepted us. He just wants some space to himself."

"I know that… I…"

"Actually, I should have noticed it sooner. He doesn't want to interfere with us in any way so he's been purposely locking himself away."

"I… I didn't know that."

Jounouchi almost punched himself for not seeing it before. Yuugi was in the space between him and Yami and he was suffocating because of it. As always, Yuugi was never the type of person to complain when he saw how two people got along so well together, even if the result ended up suppressing him.

It could only make Jounouchi shake a little.

"Jounouchi-kun?"

"You guys know each other so well and I, I never thought about how he feels about all of this."

"We live together. It's understandable."

"Then let me live with you. I want to know how one feels as well as the other. I just get so mixed up sometimes."

"Jounouchi-kun, you and I already live together. We've both managed to face tough adversaries and we've held the same dreams." Yami rested one of his wonderful hands on Jounouchi's arm for comfort.

"Isn't half of dueling just reading what the other is thinking? How could I miss that?" Jounouchi said in a soft voice.

"Jounouchi-kun?" Yami started to lean in.

But Jounouchi was already at his breaking point. Gathering up his Duel Disk and moving away from that hand and that mouth and those eyes he bounded out of the shop. It would have all gone horribly well if he hadn't tripped over the curve of the sidewalk and ran into a moving car. The next thing he knew he was tasting the gutter and there was the very prominent sound of a car booking out the general vicinity.

It really sucked being so ignorant all the time, Jounouchi reflected. In the blackness that could have lasted two seconds from the time he hit his head to waking up he thought about Yuugi and Yami. Where did he belong in that picture? Right or left? Maybe smack dab in the middle. Had he upset the balance by moving too far to one of the sides? How could he make it better?

He woke up to something hot. It could have been the pain from the impact. It could have been the hot tears sliding down his face, mixing in with the mud and making his face some make-up horror show. Maybe it was from the embarrassment that he hadn't noticed what was right in front of him the whole time.

He looked at his surroundings and confirmed that nothing was different and that he was still in one piece. The same couldn't be said for the mangled Duel Disk that now lie in the street. It wasn't just going to need a few new parts. A full overhaul was in the works now.

Again he heard the whimsical sound of bells, but this time some of them were in his ear, and the voice "Jounouchi-kun!"

But it wasn't Yami that looked at him, eyes full of concern, urgency and love.

"Yuugi?"

"Jounouchi-kun. Are you okay? Should I call an ambulance?"

"I'm fine."

That's not what his knee said.

"Ouch."

"Jounouchi-kun! I'll go get the-"

"No! Wait. Stay here Yuugi."

"What is it?"

"Yuugi. I'm sorry for the way I've been treating you. I had just- maybe if we never- no. There's really no excuse for what I've done. I was dumb, I made a mistake and you're the one to get hurt. Argh! I just hate when I get like this!"

"Jounouchi-kun, you shouldn't worry about me right now. Can you sit up?"

"I think so."

"Oh good. It's not as bad as I thought. It looks like it just clipped you." Jounouchi started to gather up the pieces of his mind that had been scattered by more than just the little encounter with the car. He became aware of the ache and the scratches but even more so-

"Yuugi? Why are you here? Wasn't Yami just-"

"I switched places with him. I sensed something was going on so I came out. But honestly Jounouchi-kun. Don't worry me like that. I thought…."

"Yuugi, I'm sorry. For all of that stuff."

But his friend would have nothing have it. Yuugi had a way of taking the curveballs that life threw at him and making sure all his friends made it to home base before he even considered running. "You don't need to apologize for that. I know it was just a misunderstanding. But could you please check if it's Yami next time you're doing those kinds of things. Now let's get you inside."

And with that Jounouchi thought he heard the sound of the resentment and impatience he had from earlier that day bursting into smithereens. Too bad there had been casualties.

"Oh wait, my Duel Disk."

It was Yuugi who handed it over to him, thinking nothing of it.

Jounouchi could only muster a half smile. "Guess there's no fixing it now."

"You know, Jounouchi-kun," said Yuugi as he helped his friend into the shop, "they come with a warranty."

"Yuugi, let's hang out more," Jounouchi smiled, meaning every word.

"I'd like that." And though the he couldn't see Yuugi's smile from his vantage point, Jounouchi swore that it was there.

-

"_And that's why I was late for class today. Although, that story would probably also explain the bandages, that are not from any fights, I can assure you."_

_"Yes, that would explain the bandages, however __you said you started in the middle. Where's the beginning to that story?"_

"_Ah… You see, Sensei…." Jounouchi gave a knowing look. _

"_And it still doesn't explain why you were late to class." _

_This time Jounouchi remained silent. _

"_So there's really no excuse is there?"_

_-_

_Outside of the counselor's room, Yami waited for him. The after-school silence was thick with ennui, and Jounouchi could only guess what the other had been doing to fill up the time._

"_How did it go?" He came up to his boyfriend, snaking that wonderful hand around his waist. _

"_You know. Detention for a week." _

_Yami only gave him his sly smile as they walked toward the exit. _

"_Then I'll see you there." The other replied, having spent the night dressing his friend's wounds and too much of the morning kissing the places in-between bandage and skin. _

"_If only I hadn't gotten into this mess in the first place. Then I wouldn't have dragged the two of you in with me. You wouldn't have had to wait for me and your Saturday might have been free." _

_Yami stopped at that sentence and cupped Jounouchi's face as he guided it towards his own. "I thought you already knew," his eyes flickered at the hint of a smile. "There's no excuse you'd give me that I could accept. Least of all for something like this. I'm happy to help you with these things. I want to see the world with you, no matter if it's detention halls or what have you. We 'live together' remember?" Yami lowered his hand to hold Jounouchi's in his own. "But honestly, mistaking Yuugi for me and stealing his first kiss?" _

"_I already told you, I was squinting at pixels all morning-"_

_But the duelist only silenced the further excuses. There was no need for any, not when the silencer was the inexplicable kiss._

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A/N: Reviews are loved.

Now that I read this story again I can also sort of see it as Jounouchi x Yuugi, especially if Yami shares a body with him. Or Jounouchi just making up an excuse to kiss Yuugi for some reason. But I don't want to force anything on you. Whatever you got from it is fine. Incidentally, I also have no idea how Duel Disks work, but chances are that most things hit by a car break in one way or another.


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